Umez Foundation (UF)

Petition to President Olusegun Obasanjo

When Leaders Loot, their People die of Starvation & Disease

We are not asking too much - we are asking for a little compassion, patriotic spirit, a minimal utilization of common sense!

President Obasanjo: Please Reject $1 billion IMF Offer

August 16, 1999

To President Obasanjo

Concerned Nigerians

President Olusegun Obasanjo The President of the Fed. Rep. of Nigeria [c/o Nigerian Embassies in US (NY, DC), UK, Italy, Germany, France, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland]

Your Excellency,

Please Reject $1 billion IMF Offer

To say that concerned Nigerians were (and still are) in shock following the report [Reuters, July 22, 1999], that "a visiting International Monetary Fund delegation had offered a $1 billion cushioning facility for short-term economic help" to Nigeria is an understatement. So many Nigerians are visibly disappointed because our core problem is not necessarily lack of money; it is mostly misappropriation of public funds by some of our leaders. In fact, your promise to stop corruption in Nigeria demonstrates a general understanding of this core problem. Please permit us to briefly illustrate our points.

Misappropriation of Funds

In November, 1998, we learnt that "the family of Nigeria's late dictator, Gen. Sani Abacha has handed back to the government more than $750 million in state funds illegally amassed by the former leader," and that "others in Abacha's government also siphoned money from the state to amass personal fortunes." According to the then finance minister, Anthony Ani, "Abacha's national security adviser, Ismail Gwarzo, channeled about $1.3 billion worth of foreign reserves into private accounts." [JET, Nov. 1998; AP, Nov. 10, 1998].

In June, this year [1999], we also learnt that Your Excellency "fired 29 top officers from the military and seized hundreds of millions of dollars from associates of the late dictator Gen. Sani Abacha," and that a "new law published in a special government gazette authorized the immediate seizure of more than $420 million in a petroleum refinery, including $140 million held by Abacha's former national security adviser, Ibrahim Gwarzo." [AP, June 9, 1999].

This month, August, 1999, we received the following report: "Abubakar's government said that more than $1 billion of missing state funds and illegally acquired property had been recovered from the aides and family of the late dictator," and that "another $2.5 billion was siphoned over a deal involving debts owed Russian firms for work on a giant steel complex in central Nigeria." [Reuters, August 1, 1999].

As you know, these three examples of recoveries are just a drop of water in the ocean of public funds stolen from Nigerian people by some of their leaders who were supposed to take care of the people. As a matter of fact, there are several Abachas and Gwarzos still in Nigeria today, starving millions of Nigerians to death. Therefore, all that is needed is for Your Excellency to (a) ensure that all current and future funds are directed towards the upliftment of the long suffering people of Nigeria, and (b) continue recovering all the stolen/embezzled funds from our treasury, and have them INVESTED IN Nigeria. In fact, the news [Reuters, August 1, 1999] that "Nigeria has decided to file a suit against the family of late dictator Sani Abacha over state funds missing in a $2.5 billion debt buy-back deal," and that you "had taken an interest in a suit filed against Abacha's estate in a London court by a Swiss-based businessman, Nessim D. Goan, over the deal," is quite refreshing.

In addition to misappropriation of funds, let us consider its twin enemy, namely, illegally amassed millions of Nigerian funds in foreign countries.

Nigerian Funds in Foreign Banks

Your Excellency, there is concrete evidence pointing to the fact that illegally amassed millions of Nigerian funds are in private bank accounts in foreign countries. Just consider the following:

"Two prominent Nigerians arrested over an alleged deal to try to transfer $100 million from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to the United States." Daily Times, June 24, 1996 (as posted to Naijanet -- Nigerian Information Network, June 24, 1996).

This is shocking; but, Your Excellency, there is more:

"We at the Citibank had a large account deposited FROM NIGERIA (our emphasis). When the Nigerian government changed hands in a military coup, some of the new authorities came to claim the money of someone in the previous regime. They were NASTY THUGS (emphasis ours). We called the police, and the police did some checking. They came back to me the next day and said, ‘Mr. Dessauer, you don’t have to worry about these fellows anymore.’ We put them on a plane to Nigeria and told the Nigerian embassy if they ever tried this stunt again we would send all Nigerians home." [Statements by John Dessauer, the former top Citibank official (Swiss branch), as quoted in THE NIGERIAN, May, 1996, p. 3.]

Mr. President, how can one explain this behavior of such leaders who steal our funds only to deposit them in foreign banks owned by those who consider them "THUGS" while millions of their own people are dying of malnutrition and inadequate medical care. To us, the undersigned, this kind of behavior makes no sense. In fact, it is this kind of behavior that makes some people consider several countries in Africa "underdeveloped" because if their leaders are really "developed," they should not be robbing their own people only to pay outsiders/those who call them the "most corrupt thugs" in the world, as in this case:
"Nigeria is the most corrupt nation in the world," according to Transparency International [Houston Chronicle, July 28, 1996, p.2E].

It might be instructive, to add, at this juncture, a recent media report [July, 1999] that "N1.605 billion has been allocated to the elected members of the National Assembly, allegedly for the purpose of 'furnishing' their residential quarters." Your Excellency, this does not sound right to a nation that is ready to borrow money. If Nigeria really needs this $1 billion loan from the IMF, this kind of lavish spending is obviously not a good example of how to manage the country's meager resources.

Before conclusion, it must be emphasized, Your Excellency, that Swiss leaders, American leaders, Japanese leaders, Canadian leaders, German leaders, French leaders, and the leaders of other progressive countries DO NOT have [illegal] bank accounts in Nigeria; they do not have mansions in Nigeria. But so many Nigerian leaders/elite not only have huge bank accounts, and mansions in those countries, but are proud to have them. Why is this the case? As Your Excellency reflects upon this question, we are pleading with you and your administration to borrow this basic principle that charity begins at home from the leaders of the progressive countries where most of our leaders/elite shamelessly run for medical check-up (when they have enough money to build such caliber of hospitals at home).

Conclusion

Mr. President, we DO NOT need the loan from the IMF. What we need in our government are MEN AND WOMEN OF GOOD MORALS and CONSCIENCE to (a) help you stop corruption as you promised, (b) recover the stolen funds from the rogues disguised as leaders/elite, and (c) invest them wisely, properly and equitably IN NIGERIA.

For your administration to excel, our present leaders/elite must start investing Nigerian resources in Nigeria. In deed, encouraging Nigerians to invest their resources in Nigeria is a key to economic recovery for the country. This, in addition to staying with the course you have embarked on which includes, stamping out corruption, recovering the loots from the rouges, and pleading for patriotism in all Nigerians at home and abroad will go a long way in assuring the success of your administration.

May God bless Nigeria and be with you in your efforts to change Nigeria for better.

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